“For the past 50 years I have used the ASV (American Standard Version 1901).  I began with it to assist in translating Hebrew and Greek texts.  It was found to be the best horse to ride, whilst the more modern translations wandered too far from the original.

‘We are sometimes asked why, at this time of day, we persist in using the American Standard Version of 1901 as the basic text for the New International Commentary. The principal reason for our persistence is that its excessively literal style of translation, however unsuitable it may be for other purposes, is admirably suited to serve as the basis of a commentary which endeavors to pay careful attention to the details of the text.’ — F.F. Bruce

The ASV is an Americanized version of the ERV (English Revised Version 1885 w/ the new Westcott & Hort Greek text).  The American editors promised their British counterparts not to publish until 15 years had elapsed to allow the English revision to find its niche in public notice.  Thomas Nelson & Sons was granted proprietary publishing rights with the proviso it be printed in a reasonably priced edition.  This proved to be a problem, perhaps its undoing.  The binding and print quality suffered.  Alongside the fine leather-bound smyth-sewn Oxford KJVs it looked shabby.  And so, from the beginning, the ASV was deemed second-rate.  Moreover, being the first really 'new' translation, it found it difficult to break down the AVs hegemony.  Moreover, the TR / King James-only crowd, as expected, cried foul.  For years the ASV languished in the backwaters of interest, except in academic circles (which is itself telling). 

The 20th Century noticed a plethora of ‘new’ translations, none of which gained (or deserved) much popular traction, whilst the ASV struggled to remain in print, until nowadays it can hardly be found.  (It is worth noting that every major translation since has acknowledge its indebtedness as a self-conscious revision of the ASV.)  The ASV suffered under another cloud: it retained the archaic Old English renderings of verbal and pronominal suffixes.  This, together with occasional atavistic renderings, displeased the moderns' taste, and at this point, correctly so.

An updated version of the KJV (the NKJV) was nicely produced to remedy this.  But what of the ASV?  The NASV has gathered some attention (referring to the ASV as ‘the rock of Biblical honesty’), but went too far, losing the crispness and clarity of its original.

Enter the RASV (the Refreshed American Standard Version)... 

The word ‘refreshed’ is operative.  This is not a ‘revision’ except for the aforementioned updating of archaic pronominal rendering and verbal termination.  Minor edits, where deemed necessary, are few, and for good reasons: 1. The ASV remains the best English translation, and 2. The ASV's history deserves to be preserved.  The old adage —‘If it ain't broke...’ applies.

The Bible is a large book.  And so, this project has taken several years to complete.  All the credit belongs to Matt Jarka, whose sustained and painstaking efforts are to be commended.  Not only has the work been done, but it has been done well, with due respect for the venerable ASV.

We have no expectation the RASV will at last jump into general use, displacing the market-share of contenders, but only that it be freshly available to those who appreciate its excellence.”   

— Tom Lyon, Providence Reformed Baptist Church